Mission Statement

Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School aims to produce competent, self-motivated life-long learners in a local community school who have sound academic foundations. We strive to educate problem-solvers who create quality work, work cooperatively, respect others, and choose academic paths to enjoyable careers as adults.

Vision Statement

The vision of Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School is to provide a local school within Yosemite National Park that ensures the health, safety, and welfare of our local children. We offer a unique education that utilizes the incredible natural and human resources within Yosemite National Park, fostering a deep sense of environmental stewardship. We offer an educational experience that emphasizes reading, writing, mathematics, science, social sciences, communication skills, and a broad-based exposure to other academic disciplines through projects, hands-on activities, and real world experiences whenever possible. Learning is achieved in a respectful and supportive environment that enhances integrity, respect, responsibility, and compassion for others and the world as a whole.

Academic Philosophy

The foundation of our academic program is:

 • Set in a multi-age classroom environment
 • A hands-on, project-based curriculum
 • A place where students work cooperatively and collaboratively
 • Integrated content across subject areas
 • Academically challenging
 • Aligned with California Common Core content standards

Goals

Yosemite-Wawona Elementary Charter School
​seeks to help students grow and develop in the following ways:
  • Enable students to become self-motivated, competent and life-long learners.
  • Help students to realize that learning is a life-long process that not only comes from school, but the community and constantly changing world around us.
  • Help students to develop the necessary skills and academic paths so that they can choose fulfilling and enjoyable professions.
  • Realizing that problems are a part of life, teach students healthy and constructive ways to develop problem-solving skills, and help them realize that mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn.
  • Provide a warm, supportive, safe, and loving atmosphere for students.
  • Encourage respect by modeling respect, and teach that all ethnic groups are important.
  • Provide students with diverse experiences outside of our rural, homogeneous community through field trips.
  • Teach thinking skills and the "how-to" in all instructional areas, including:
    • How to get information and use resources to find their own answers
    • How to socialize and get along with others
    • How to deal with conflict 
    • How to gain independence  
  • Help each student to develop an accurate and challenging Individual Learning Plan to be carried out in a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment.
  • Respect the different learning styles/multiple intelligences and teach accordingly.​​
  • Adequately provide for the children who have special needs.
  • Provide opportunities throughout the day to teach the children to work cooperatively in whole class, small, and multi-age groups that develop leadership capabilities.
  • Provide an enriched learning experience for all children, emphasizing "real life" challenges whenever possible.
  • Provide a well-rounded education in the arts for every child.
  • Maximize each child's academic abilities by creating a greater awareness of personal strengths and limitations so that each child can reach his or her potential.
  • Teach self-discipline and responsibility; students are responsible for their own actions and a large part of their own education.
  • Continuously facilitate the development of a healthy self-concept in each child.
  • View the teacher as a facilitator, counselor and team player - not as an information giver or dictator.
  • Provide opportunities for the staff members to improve their professional skills.
  • Continuously evaluate the programs at the Y-WECS and make necessary changes.
  • Strengthen students' skills in self-assessment.
  • Align the majority of our curriculum and teaching methods with the most current state and/or national curriculum standards.